Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive
in 2010 witii funding from
Lyrasis IVIembers and Sloan Foundation
http://www.archive.org/details/cooladdresstopeoOOadam
COOL ADDRESS
TO THE
PEOPLE OF ENGLAND,
ON THE
SLAVE TRADE.
«■ TO SEE THE SUFFERINGS OF MY FELLOW CREATURES,
" AND OWN MYSELF A MAN."
By THOMAS MAXWELL ADAMS, Esq^
L O N D ON:
PRINTED FOR R. FAULDER, NEW BOND-STREET j
AND J. STOCKDALE, PICCADILLY.
M.DCC.LXXXVIII.
Price u. 6^,
HT
PROCSSSTO Bt
BAimOW LAB
I VtRGlNIA STATE LIBRARyI
I R ICHMOND I
>
C 3 ]
FELLOW citizens!
T
O fee the fufferings of my fellow creature?,
" And own myfelf a man !"
Is a fympathy which does honour to hu-
man nature j and is a fubjed; which re-
quires inveftigation.
In this enhghtened and happy land,
where liberty has been purchafed by
an ocean of blood, it re-echoes in folemn
triumph.
Or, but in dreams, to hear and fee
powerful men
" Cheat the deluded people with a fhew
" Of Liberty, which yet they ne'er muft tafte of:
" They fay by them our h^nds arc free from fetters,
" Yet whom they pleafe they lay in bafeft bonds ;
" Bring whom they pleafe to infamy and forrow;
" Drive us like wrecks down the rough tide of
" power,
*' Whilft no hold's left to fave us from deftru^tion.
" All that bear this are villains, and I one,
A 2 « Not
[ 4 ]
** Not to roufe up at the great call of nature,
" And check the growth of thefe domeftick fpoilers,
" That make us flaves, and tell us it's our charter."
diftraifl and fet the imagination wild.
The voyagers and hiftorians' pages of
infidel countries mark the features of the
rational man with the deepeft afflidion,
and harrow up his whole foul : That the
agitations of our learned and pious Uni-
verfity of Cambridge, followed by the
counties of Huntingdon and city of York,
and other counties and places, publickly
exprefTed, upon fimilar brutalities fuggeft-
ed to be exercifed in Chriftian countries,
do high honour to the feveral petitioning
individuals and the national charadler.
It will be admitted, that men's defires
of being great increafe in proportion to
their flrength and power. Hence con-
quefts; hence, as the uniform experience
throughout the whole world conftantly
evinces, commerce leads her avaricious
fons; and hence our fallen nature !
That whenever we are'ferious, we, who
profefTedly are Chriftians and enlightened
by the Gofpel, muft, beyond all doubt,
begin
[ 5 ]
begin a reform by an amendment of our
own hearts, and the fubduing our ambition
and pajjions totally. Ambition travelled
us into the north, fouth, eaft, and weft -,
and the pretext goes forth, — the pub-
lick good!
The fubjed: is torn from his friends, his
children, and his family, for, the pub-
lick good ! So far above all confidera-
tions, and fo much virtue there is in the
PUBLIC K GOOD, that WQ have heard, " No
" matter about the man, it is a general
AND " PUBLICK QUESTION." UpOU THE
PUBLICK good! I will then meet the
queftion refpeding the Guinea Trade,
and fo far as it may go to affed: fuch of
thofe of that race of people as are fettled
in our Weft India iflands, particularly Bar-
badoes.
We learn, not from " A fhort Hijiory
** of Bar badoes^'" publillied in 1768, and
fold by Dodlley ; a work in the ftyle of an
auctioneer's catalogue, but with nothing of
" From my own Note ; on a Motion in the Court
of King's Bench, 25 November, 1776, for an Habeas
Corpus in the Cafe of John Tubbs.
A 3 its
[ 6 ]
its honefty of report or genius, that Bar-
badoes is rather lefs rha?2 the count^ of
Rutland, the fmalleit county in England ''.
This NOBLE ISLAND, juftly eflecmed
the moft valuable plaatation, ' for its fize,
that ever this nation poflefTed, as my au-
thor expreifes himfelf, maintained in the
year 1661, fv/ithin thirty-iix or thirty-
feven years of the firft landing of Englifi-
tnen'\ ^our hundred sail of fhips.
The runnmg cafli computed about two
hundred thoufand pounds ; their annual ex-
ports toGreat Britain at leaft three hun-
dred AND FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS;
the money arifing to the Exchequer
f^. 35,000 per AM-jUM.
This nation acquired in twenty years,
that is, between 1636 to 1656, two mil-
lions in money, by Barbadoes.
In the next twenty years, that is, from
1656 to 1676, there mufthave been gained
FOUR millions.
To 1736, the (^ictoi one hundred years,
this nation received twelve millions
^ Harris's Collection of Voyages, vol. II. page
256, printed in 1748,
in
[ 7 ]
in iilver, and had fifty thousand of
her inhabitants maintained by the people
in that colony all the time. With re-
gard to the value of thefe colonies, [the
foreign and our own] it is very eafy to per-
ceive that there is hardly any computatioii
to be made at all, for we may truly af-
firm, that the produce of Barbadoes is very
near equal to a twentieth part of what
Spain receives from the Indies annually y
in time of peace, and from thence we
may eafily judge of the reft. I have in-
fifted the longer upon this topick, becaufe
it may enable us to form fome notion of
what might be made of our plajjtatiojts,
if we attended to them as much as they
deferve -, for though it may be, and per-
haps is impoffible to improve any of them
in proportion to what has been done in
Barbadoes, ye we may well enough difcern
from hence, that they might be made in-
conteftably more profitable to us than
they now are, or indeed than the whole
TRADE that we now poiTefs; and if, at
the fame time we refled: on this, we like-
wife confider that there is nothing fo ab-
A 4 folutely
[ 8 ]
folutely in our power, as the improvement
of our colonies -, it will moft certainly ap-
pear to be the point, which, of all others y
imports us moft.
** Now," continues my author, '*If the
TRADE AND NAVIGATION of Great Bri-
tain have received fuch an addition from
the fugar colonies, as added greatly to the
riches and ftrength of the kingdom; and
if Barbadoes has the honour to {^2.ndfore-
moji in the fugar trade, (as the firft founder
of it) ho%v well has fie deferved o^ htr xno-
ther country !"
For my part I will affirm, when Lord
North became her advccc'te, and pathe-
tically ftated' the afflidiions that £he had
then juft fuffered, that noble lord was not
* perfeBly. conjijlent when, having fcarcely
breathed forth her unfeigned woes, with
his next breath he propofed and laid an
additmial tax upon her produce, thr^t, in
its amount and tendency, over paid the
^. 80,000 grant more than five hundred
•= See my Letter to his Lordfhip, publifned in the
Noon Gazette and Daily Spy, 3o,th March, 1781.
times.
[ 9 ]
times. And alas ! fhe furely deferved higher
inflances of the benevolence of her mother
country than fo to be fhackled in the hour
of defolation. But her agent, who
had the honour of a feat in the Houfe of
Commons, ought not to have h^^rvjiknt, as
he wasj for unqueftionably he owed the
confidence with which he had the honour
to be veiled by his country, his fulleft and
warmeft exertions, and never more fo than
at that miferable jundiure, to have repro-
bated in the face of the noble lord fuch
his lordjhip' s /pedes of benignity.
I will return to my author. He fays,
'* I know not any fubjed; that either can
" or ought to give an Englifi reader more
** pleafure than the conlideration of what
** has been obtained by the bleffing of
" God, upon the virtue and indiijiry of his
" countrymen."
Hear! Virtue and industry! not
ACTS OF FEROCITY AND BARBARISm!
It has been left to the prefent day to throw
out afperfions of brutal favagenefs in the
laws of this colony. It fliall be my en-
deavour to refcue this colony from every
vile
r 1° ]
vile and flanderous afperlion; of which
you can be able to judge latisfaclorily but
by a review of the laws in force.
** "All ilaves flmll be clothed once a
year, upon pain of forfeiting ^s, for
each."
" ^ The provoft marfhal fhall keep and
detain in the cage, which fhall always
be kept mfufficient repair, all runaway
or fugitive negroes that may be taken
up and brought to him, the mafter or
owner not being known j and ihall give
fuch negroes fujficient food and drink,
which, if required, fliall be proved upon
oath; and if fuch Have fhall die for
want of food, the marfhal fliaii be re-
fponlible.'-
" ^ Slaves committing or attempting to
commit capital crimes againfl white
people, SHALL BE TRIED by two juf-
tices and three freeholders of the vi-
cinage, the freeholders htingfrjifvorn
before the two juflices; viz. ** You,
"^ Hall's Compilation of the Laws of Barbadoes,
N" 82, entitled " An Act for the governing of Ne-
groes," CI. 6.
CI. 7. 8. 9. f CI. 12.
and
[ II ]
« and each of you, do fwear on the holy
" evangelifts of Almighty God, that you
" will well and truly hear and examine all
" evidences, proofs, and teftimonies, that
" ihall be given you on the trial of the
" Negroe A. now before us, on a charge
" of felony alledged againft him, by B. C.
*' and fhall faithfully deliver your feveral
" opinions to us, whether he be guilty or
" not."
And, ° after judgment of death, jnay ap-
peal, by writ of error, to be heard before
THE GOVERNOR AND COUNCIL OF
STATE.
' " Any perfon fending off his Negroe
« that has killed another, fhall pay the
** value of the Negroe killed."
' ** Where a flave fuffers death, he fliall
*« be valued not exceeding ^(^25. which_^
*« lofs fhall be born by the public to fatisfy
" the damages of the party injured ; and the
" overplus, if any, fliall go to the ma^kr.
** But thej uftices fhall enquire by witnelfes,
" on their oaths, if fuch Have was properly
2 N° 180. CI. 2. ^ N« 82. a. 12. ' CI. 15. 16.
I " provided
[ 12 ]
" provided with provificii and necefTaries;
" and if it appears that he was compelled
" by neceffity to commit the crime, the
*' mafter fhall be paid nothing from the
" treafury."
^ " Any flave convicted of petty larceny
** before a juilice fhall be whipped, not
•* EXCEEDING FORTY LASHES."
'" Mutinous, or rebellious ilaves, shall
" BE TRIED by martial law.
"" " If any Have fhall difcover and prove
" any confpiracy, he fliall be manumit-
*' TED and made free, and flrall be fent
** off or fliall remain in the Ifland and re-
" ceive 40^-. {at his choice,^ at the public
" expence."
" " When any flave fliall be fet free, the
" perfon manumitting fliall pay to the
" Church Warden of the Parifli X 50- ^^
" be improved by the Veftry, who fhall
•* diredl the Church Warden to pay ^4.
" annually to t\\t freed perfon -, recoverable
" from the Church Warden in a fummary
" way by a warrant from a Juftice ° of
" the Peace."
* CI. 13. ^ CI. 14. '"N^gi. "NoiSo, C1.6.
•N» 30. CI. II.
Where-
[ '3 ]
Wherever this code of lav/s does not
breathe like the magnanimity of our
GREAT CHARTER OF LIBERTIES, and
like all the subsequent bulwarks of
our conftitutlon, your minds are to con-
template whatever may feem irreconcilable,
whether you denominate them errors, or
you pleafe to call them v/ickednelTes, that
they are yet founded upon the idea of Order
and THE PUBLIC good, or fafety, which
is fynonymous, borrowed from your own
SCHOOLS.
With a noble and virtuous confcioufnefs,
the a6ls of the legiflature fpeak this plainly :
" ^ For as much as the Negroes and other
** Haves brought unto the people of this
** Illand, 2iVQO^ barbarous y wild and fav age
" nature y and fuch as renders them wholly
" unqualified to be governed by the laws,
*' cufloms, and pradiices of cz/r ;z^//(5;z; It
" therefore becoming abfolutely necelTary,
** that fuch other conflitutions, laws and
*' orders, fhould be in this liland framed
*' and enadied for the good regulating or
** ordering of them, as may both reilrain
P N» 82. Preamble.
the
[ H ]
*' the diforders, rapines ^ and inhumanities, to
** which they are naturally prone and in-
** chnedy with fuch encouragements and al-
** lowances as are fit and needful to their
** fupport; that from both, this Ifland
** through the bleffing of God thereon,
*' may be preferved, his Majefty's fubjedls
** in their lives and fortunes fecured, and
" the Negroes and other Haves be well
** provided for, and guarded from the
" cruelties ajid injoknces, of themfelves, or
** other ill temper 'd people or Owners.",
^ Again. *' x\nd whereas many heinous
^' and grievous crimes, as murder, burg-
*^ iaries, robbing in the highways, rapes,
** burning of houfes or canes, be many
*' times committed by Negroes, or other
" fiaves, and many times malicioufly at-
** tempted by them to be committed, in
*■* which, though by divers accidents they
" are prevented, yet are their crimes never-
*'•' tlieleis heinous, and therefore defervq
*' the like punifhment j as alfo do many
** times fteal, wilfully kill, maim, or de-
** l>i'oy one or more horfes, mares, geld-
** ings, cattle, flieep, or other quick or
^- N" 82. Preamble to ci;iufe the 12th.
*' dead
[ IS ]
" dead thing of the like nature, and of
** the value of twelve pence or above : and
** many times by attempting to ileal from
** the inhabitants of this Ifland, flock, and
** other goods before mentioned, of above,
" or under the value aforefaid, do put
** fuch inhabitants, or fome of his family
** m terror, dread or jeopardy oi their lives,
** w^hich feveral offenders for danger of
** efcape are not long to be imprifoned;
** and being brutilh flaves, deferve not for
" the bafenefs of their condition, to be
*' tried by the legal trial of twelve men of
^' their peers or neighbourhood, which
*' neither truly can be rightly done, as
" the fubjedis of England are, nor, is exe-
" cution to be delayed towards them, in
** cafe of fuch horrid crim.es committed."
Yet no cannon's mouth roars out their
diffolution into atoms; nor, in the worft
of crimes and mofl defperate fiercenefs, are
they prevented from* kneeling or pro-
flrating themfelves to the Deity of their
worfliip before they fall to a juft fentence.
That the reprefentation here given of
thefe people is accurate, and thefe fears
well founded, every voyager affords you
high
[ i6 ]
high reafons to be perfuaded; but of iiieir
frequent plots and confpiracieSi and jiiptrior
numbers in this liland you may read, in
particular, in the collediion of voyages to
which I referred you before.
So of the native ferocity on i6th Oc-
tober, 1728, in an attack upon William's
Fort, at Whydah in Africa, under the
King of Dahome with twenty thoufand
blacks, which you may read in the journals
of the houfe of Commons, vol. xxi. 3
Geo. II. March 6th, 1729.
And the wifdom and policy of thefe laws
of this Illand of Barbadoes will be allowed
and refped:ed by you, when you find very
fimilar warinefs in the ad of 23. Geo. II.
c. 31 fee. 28. viz. " Traders, for the fe-
" curity of their goods and Jlaves, may
• *' build houfes under the protection
" OF THE FORTS."
Now then we will turn an eye to thefe peo-
ple on the refpe6tive eflates of the Planters.
Each family, confifling ufually of about
fix or eight perfons, is accommodated with
a thatched houfe, not unlike a villager's
cottage i they are clothed, they have al-
2 lowances
[ 17 ]
lowances of Indian and Guinea corn, fait,
(which they prefer to almoft every thing)
herrings, pilchards, cod, (much more fre-
quently indeed before that accurfed and
wicked war which feparated the brave and
virtuous Americans from us) yambs, plan-
tains, peafe, beans, potatoes, moloffes and
rum.
On an allotment of ground, which they
have with their cottage, they may plant
what they pleafe, except ' cotton and gin-
ger; and they breed poultry, pigs, and
kids, which they either confume them-
felves, or fell, and furnifh themfelves with
other little luxuries.
An apothecary, at a falary of 30 or £ 40.
a year, in proportion to the number, vifits
conftantly twice a week; in difficult cafes
a phyfician or fargeon, learned and fkilful,
is called in as the cafe may be, whofe fee on
going out of town two or three miles is
£ 5 each vifit.
In refpecft of di{l:ri(fl, they are all re-'
ilrained to the boundaries of their mafter's
Barbadoes laws N* 164. CI. 4.
B klids5
[ '8 ]
lands; and feveraP laws are enabled for pre-
venting the afiembling of Negroes in large
mixed bodies , and at hiickjlers fbops, where
they would be fure to commit enormities,
felonies y and other crimes. Thefe laws can
no more be difpen/ed with than the people
at Whydah would be fafe to extend their
buildings beyond the protection of
THE FORTS.
Never again therefore let it be heard
among you, without deteftation, and a
fufpicion of the heart of that man who is
bold and impudent enough to affert, that the
Planters are uncivilized^ and bear 7io regard
for the life of a fellow creature.
Suffer your minds to contemplate cool-
ly the number of vagabonds you have
throughout this kingdom : contemplate
alfo the m.ultitudes of unfortunate men
releafed from time to time out of prifons
by adls of grace, which fet them at liberty,
'tis true; but at the fame time, leaves
them at little better more than the liberty
of Jlarving,
' N° 92. 93. 164. 196.
The
[ '9 ]
The flaves work, and are under fubor-
dination; but, on the other hand, are
maintained at confiderable expence, and
become 2^/?/z^/ to others ; useful to you
YOURSELVES. Whofe condition is the
moft happy ? By which cf thefe is man-
kind moil benefited?
I will flop my pen under an hope
that your philanthropy will apply itfelf to
fellow fubjed:s totally unprovided fit ^ and
while you give ih^xn freedom ^ you will give
them bread alfo.
An other point worthy of you prefents
itfelf IN THIS KINGDOM, viz. th^ uncqual
fate of numbers of clergymen; and in
honour of true religion defcrves your be-
nignity and Chriflian regard, ere the hearts
and manners of difliant people are indifcri-
minately reviled.
The next point that I am to confider
flands merely fpeculatively in the face of
a fubje6t which has been frequently before
parliament, which has continually received
the fanBion of parliament : but the mif-
fortune is, that, with all the energy of
humanity that can be enforced, it is not
B z on
[ 20 ]
on fo broad a bafis, as not to leave a wrec^
behind.
If you abolifh your flave trade, the very
motives that induce you to it argue that
all the flaves in the Weft Indies ought to
be fet free ; or, where will be your princi-
ple, where your juftice? And if you are
difpofed to manumit thofe in the Weft
Indies, I will afk, where will be the inte-
grity of your laws, which have injUtutcd and
confirmed thefe pofTeffions, as much as hu-
man power can form and afluri^ the nature
and tenure of property, and upon which
the Planter and others have ever placed
their entire confidence ? The6 Ann.c. 37,
fee. 1 8, recognifes the laws in force within
the feveral iflands, for the prevefJiing"^ the
carrying off any fiave without the confent of
the owner, and enads, that all command-
ers of private (liips of war, or merchant
fhips having letters of marque, Jhall be fiib-
jeSi to fuch laws.
The 5 Geo. II. c. 7, entitled, " An
" Adt for the more eafy Recovery of Debts
» As to Barbadoes Laws, fc-e N° 30, cL 21;
N* 59, cl. II ; N* no, cl. I : afterwards the afl?
N» 117, cl. 25 i N* 159, cl- I ; N" 203, cl. I, 3.
[ 2. ]
** in His Majefly's Plantations and Colo-
" nies in America," fee. 4, enadls, That
the houfes, lands, negroes", and other
real eflrates, fituate within any of the
Plantations, belonging to any perfon in-
. deb ted, fhall be liable to all jufl debts and
demands, 2.r\dJJoall be ajfets^ in like manner
as real ejlates are by the laiv of England
liable to die fatisfacftion of debts due by
bond, and fhall be fubje6t to the like reme- -
dies in any court of law or equity in the
Plantations, in like manner as perfonal
ejlates,
I will not tire you with long or many
extracts from the laws of Barbaboes, or
from the Journals of the Britifli Houfe of
Commons, or from Britifli a6ts of parlia-
ment, to fhow you the abfolute ntcemty
that has ever required the fervice and la-
bour of negroes, and ever been fo held j or
the planters particular interefts ; but I
lliall, within three minutes, open to you
YOUR OWN individual and national henejits
and advantages derived from that trade.
The preamble of the ad of Barbadoes,
^ Barbadoes Laws, N» 42, N<» 60.
B 3 N-
[ 22 ]
N" 42 (in the year 1668) declares,
" Whereas a very conjiderable part of the
" wealth of this iflai^d, confiils in our ne-
" groe Haves, without whofe labour and
'* fervice we fhould be utterly unable to
" manage our plantations here."
The preamble of the 9 and 10 William
III. c. 26> declares, " Whereas the trade to
** Africa is highly beneficial to the planta-
*' tions and colonies."
Mr. Ward, 8 Ann, 17 March, 1708,
reported from the committee of the whole
houfe, upon the petition '' of the Royal
African Company for the prefervation of
their trade, firfl: refolution, " That it is
** the opinion of this committee, that the
" trade to Africa is very advantageous and
** NECESSARY to the plantations:" which,
upon the queftion, was refolved iinani-
moujly.
The preamble of the ad; 23 Geo. II.
c. 31, entitled, " An Ad for extending
** and improving the Trade to Africa,"
declares, " Whereas the trade to and from
"" Petition was prefented 20th January, 1708.
Journals of the Houfe of Commons, Vol. XVI.
" Africa
[ 23 ]
". Africa is very advantageous and ne-
** CESSARY for the fupplying the planta-
'* tions and colonies v^ith a fufficient num-
" ber of negroes, at reafonable rates."
Now", for the national advantages de-
rived.
As the planters flourifhed and encreafed,
fo did their demands for BritiJJj manufac-
tures, and necefiaries oi life, fuch as they
could not produce in thofe climates ; which
opened another trade to the Britifli mer-
chants, to furnifh thefe new colonies with
wine from Madeira. . .Thefe branches of
trade were of the utmoil: advantage to
Great Britain; for as much as they
took no money out of the kingdom, but
yearly brought in large f urns for BritiJJj ma-
?mfaBtires carried out -, yet w^ere fupplied
with negroes by the Dutch till the year
1651.
After the Ufurper's quarrel with the
Dutch, the Barbadians were compelled,
by an ordinance of parliament, to bring all
their fugars diredtly to England, which was
imitated by the miniftry after the Refloration
B4 of
[ 24 ]
©f king Charles II. and was the found a^
TION OF THE NAVIGATION ACT.
The preamble of 9 and i o William III. c.
26. before cited, declares, the trade to Africa
is highly beneficial and advantageous to
THIS KINGDOM :andfe6tion 2 lays Open the
trade to all the fubjedis of England (which
trade, by grant from Charles II. was wholly
in the hands of, and confined to the Royal
African Company of England) paying ten
per cent, to the African Company towards
the charge of their forts.
The Houfe of Commons, 8 Ann. 17
. March, -1708, upon the petition of the
Royal African Company, 20 January (for
the prefervation of their trade, by an ex-
clufive trade to be granted them, flating
among other reafons, that the expedient of
an open trade to all perfons, had not an-
fwered its ends) refolved u7ianimouJly ^
Firft, That the trade to Africa is very
advantageous to Great Britain.
Secondly, That the trade ought to be
free to all her Majefty's fubjeds, in a re-
gulated company, under rules for the pre^
fsrvation of the trade.
Which
[ 25 ]
Which petition of the Royal African
Company brought in feveral other peti-
tions, viz.
A petition " of divers merchants, fepa-
rate traders from the port of London
to the coaft of Africa, and thence to the
Plantations, on behalf of themfelves, and
others concerned in the faid trade.
A petition of the mayor, aldermen, com-
mon council, of the City of Exon, and
of the merchants and other traders in the
woollen manufactories, in the said
CITY, AND PARTS ADJACENT.
A petition ^ of the gun-makers, cutlers,
and powder-makers, inhabiting in and
about the City of London.
A petition'' of the merchants and
planters, feparate traders to Africa, inte-
refted in, and trading to, the plantations
of Virginia and Maryland.
A petition of divers Shipwrights, rope-
makers, fail-makers, anchor-fmiths, and
divers other tradefmen, in behalf of them-
* Journals of the Houfe of Commons, vol. XVL
7 Ann. 27 January, 1708.
' 28 January. * 29 January.
felves.
[ 26 ]
felves, and many others, inpiabitants
OF London, V/apping, Lime-House,
&c. and places adjacent, employed- in na-
val architecture, and manufac-
tures RELATING THEREUNTO.
A petition * of the cottons, ferge-makers,
and other WOOLLEN manufactures.
A petition of feveral tradefmen inhabit-
ing in and ABOUT London.
A petition of the mayor, aldermen, and
common council of the City of Bris-
tol, on behalf of themfelves, and the reft
of the traders and artificers of the faid
city.
A petition'' of the merchants, and own e r s
OF SHIPS, in THE port of White-
haven.
A petition'^ of the mayor, aldermen,and
burgeffes, together with other principal
inhabitants and traders of the corpora-
tion OF Taunton, greatly con-
cerned in the woollen manufac-
tures.
Severally bating, that fmce the open-
» 3 February. ^ 9 February.
' 25th February.
2 ing
[ 27 ]
Ing the trade to Africa, the fame has great-
ly increafed by the confumption of our
manufactures, the increase of navi-
gation, and the better fupplying the
plantations with negroes, infomuch that
NO BRANCH OF TRADE tUHlS tO A BET-
TER ACCOUNT to THE BRITISH NA-
TION : That themfelves and families, and
many hundred other families, have been
greatly fuppor ted by that trade; and pray-
ing that the trade to Africa may be pre-
served AND ENCOURAGED, and fettled
under fuch regulations, as may tend to the
benefit of all her Majefly's fubjeds.
Our clofe and dear friends of Scot-
land, men of the world, fent up from
the BURGH OF MoNTRossE'', from In-
vernesses from Gl A s GOV/ \ their pe^
titionsy praying that no exclufive privi-
leges may be granted to any fociety or
company, to their prejudice , and that the
trade may remain open and free.
On the 26 March 1730°, 3 Geo. II.
^ 29 January. * 9 February. *" 4 March.
^ Journals of the Houle of Commons, Vol. XXI.
Sir
[ 28 3
Sir Nathaniel Curzon reported to the
Houfe of Commons the refolutions of the
committee of the whole houfe, upon the
flate ^ of the trade to Africa -, Firft, That
it is the opinion of this committee, that
the trade to Africa ought always to
REMAIN free and open to all his Majefty's
fubjeds : which, upon the queflion, was
refohed. And Mr. Chancellor of
THE Exchequer acquainted the houfe,
that his Majefly recommended to their
conlideration the making fuch provifion,
as the Houfe fliould think proper, towards
the fupport and maintenance of the forts and
iettlements.
23 Geo. II. c. 31, entitled, " An Adl
*' for extending and improving the Trade to
*' Africa." The preamble declares [as
was ever before declared] the trade to and
from Africa is very advantageous to
Great Britain 5 and the trade ought
TO BE free and open to all his Ma-
jefty's fubjedls. Section 2 incorporates
the traders by the name of The Com-
^ 1 8th February, 1729.
PANY
[ ^9 ]
PANY OF Merchants trading to
Africa. Sedion 3 vefts the forts, {qI-
tlements and fadories, &c. of the Royal
'African Company, in the New-
Company.
25 Geo. II. c. 40, divefts The Royal
African Company of their charter,
lands, forts. Sec. and vefts the fame in
The Company of Merchants trad-
ing TO Africa.
4 Geo. III. c. 20, recites the 23 Geo. IL
c. 31, and veils the port of Senegal,
and its dependencies, in The Company
of Merchants trading to Africa.
5 Geo. III. c, 44, recites 23 and 25
Geo. II. before cited; and repeals 4 Geo.
HI. c. 20, and vefts Senegal, v^^ith its
dependencies, in the Crown. Declares
the trade to Africa open to all his
Majefty's fubjeds.
23 Geo. III. c. 65, repeals (upon the
preliminaries of peace, ligned at Ver^
SAiLLES, on the 20th day of January,
1783, it being agreed that the fort of
Senegal, and its dependencies, fhould
be ceded to His Most Christian Ma-
jesty,
[ 3° I
JESTY, who, on his part, guarantied to
His Majefty the polTeflion of Fort
James, and the river Gambia, as
the preamble ftates) 5 Geo. III. c. 44, and
veils Fort James, and the river
Gambia, and their dependencies, and all
other the forts, lands, caftles, fettlements,
and fadories, on the coafl: of Africa, in
THE African Company, under all the
fame regulations, rules, government, and
rcftriftions, as formerly tinder 23 Geo. 11.
and enadls, that the trade to and from
Africa shall continue free and
OPEN to all His Majelly's fubjedts.
The anfwer to the maxim, that all men
by a natural right are born free, I conceive
is very reafonably and fairly this : A man
w^ho is neither by nature nor indufiry pre-
pared for a right way of living, fhould,
upon account of his own weaknefs and in-
capacity, be under the controul of others.
But the governing under this rule ought
by no means fo to be exercifed, as to tram-
ple down the duties of humanity ; for then
thCj one nation can have no title to dif-
tindion more than the other, but they
mufl
[ 31 ]
mufc equally fland on a level with the
brutifi nations of Africa, But you may
fay, there is fcarce any man fo dull and
flupid, but he fancies it will be more pro-
per and convenient for him to live ac-
cording to his own inclinations, than to fiib-
mit himfelf to the command, and to the
pleafure of another. This I think too.
For my part, I blefs my God that I was
born your fellow -fubjed:, under a confli-
tution the moji glorious, and the nearefl
to heavenly wifdom, that is in human power
to form.
Yet, however this be the darling of the
mind, it cannot be endured in all its lite-
ral fenfe and fpirit, becaufe it would cer-
tainly tend to diftrad: tiie world. Man
muft be governed by laws.
When part of the fubjeds are lifted into
armed troops, the diftind:ion of the fol^
diery and the country immediately arifes.
Different motives adtuate different coun-
tries and their foldiers ^ but they are all
agreed that conqueji is a valid title.
The NATIVES OF Africa war almoft
every man upon every man, and the con-
queror
[ 32 ]
queror gains an abfolute power over The
LIFE AND NATURAL LIBERTY of the
vanquifhed; eats or sells his prifoners;
nay, fo favage and brutifh, that the natives
fell even their neareft relations, wives and
children not excepted j and they kill and
facrifice their Haves at the funerals of their
great perfons.
The thoughts you entertain of abolifli-
Ing your trade with them, feem the fure
means of furnifhing them with oppor-
tunities of abundant fe aft s and hearty meals.
There are nations and people who would
be happy to be left to the enjoyment of
the plenteoufnefs and abundance of their
own country!
I cannot think this idea, which
you feem to have taken up, has any one
lingle feature to maintain and reveal the
Chriftian religion : yet the barbarous cruel-
ty, if any fuch you know, of furprifing and
carrying off whole families of negroes by
Jiealthy ought to be made public by you,
and the wicked con fpira tors punifhed.
The ftatute 23 Geo. II. c. 31, fee. 29,
enadts, " No commander or mailer of
" any
[ 33 ]
" any flilp trading to Africa, fhall by
** f randy forces or violence ^ or by any otlier
** indireSi praBice whatfoever, take on
** board, or carry away from the coaft of
** Africa, any negroe or native of the faid
" country, or commit, or fuffer to be
** committed, ajiy violence on the natives,
** to the prejudice of the faid trade ; and
** that every perfon fo offending fhall, for
** every fuch offence, forfeit the fum of
** ;{^.ioo, of lawful money of Great
*' Britain : one moiety to the company
•* hereby eflablifhed, and the other to the
" informer."
Nor are you right as to your idea that
the trade is urmecejjary, in as much as thofe
of that race of people already fettled in
the Wefl Indies, are of fufficient numbers
to keep up an adequate increafe.
JVojnen with child are for a Ion? time of
o
no afliflance ; fo too in niirjing their chil-
dren.
Children, with great trouble and expence
brought up, are little better thd^n fpe£iators,
till they arrive at the age oi Jixteen or
feventeen ; Jicknefs and cajualties attend
them all.
C You
[ 34 ]
Vou have apprentices -, you have chil-
dren of your own. If your confidentiat
partner, or man whom you hire, fliould
be taken off by ficknefs or any other ca-
fuahy, or only laid up j fhould you, who
are fathers, meet fuch like fate in your
own perfons ; is your apprentice compe-
tent ? Are your infant children competent ?
Mufl not the furviving partner, muft not
your own familiesy^f/^y^r ajjijlance F JufI: fo
the colonies mufl have a refource.
The \dit2.Qi'i manumitting thofe 'm the Weft
Indies cannot remain with you a fmgle
moment. Manumit them — well! — the
fubjed: becomes that inftant deprived of
his property, vv^ithout even an imputation
of any crime that in its magnitude ex-
tends, upon A LEGAL TRIAL AND CON-
VICTION, to fuch facrifice. I do not like
even a dream of this. I will take the
point temperately. Suppofe you ?nanumit
thefe people ; fome might be prevailed
with to work ; the greater numbers would
lounge ; their former mailers mull difmifs
them ; no provifion, no houfes, no care :
you would hear that, within eight and
forty hours f all the comftrts of focial life,
and
[ 35 J
and the advantages of true religion, were
kicked into the fea, and the moft abomina-
ble dilbrders and outrages committed : there
would not be a fmgle white perlbn but
would be in daneer of being; eat up, and
the women ravijijeci. You would then have
to fend a fleet and army to reduce thofe
miferabie wretches; and well might they
then exclaim,
Libertas et nataie folum.
Fine words ! Where the devil did you fleal
them ? And you : There were never better
Jlaves, but never war Je free men.
Other dan2:ers would furround thofe
who efcaped the lavages fury and knife :
frripped of the moft valuable part of their
property, nay the whole, for the land can-
not till itfelf, they would be devoured by
merchants, eat up by BONDS; and the
effed. of your intended clemency and hu-
manity would jufl amount to the placing
fjackies and fnifery upon the proprietors of
thofe devoted eftates.
But your philanthropy exercifed in this
manner, could not fail to induce you to be '
happy in the honour of the addreffes of
C 2 fome
[ 36 ]
fome prince of Hombutt or Mandinga, Gago,
Cano or Dahomey or a malTa ^mco, or a
mafia Sambo, or fome other Jiich prince or
majfa, to your daughters ; fo fome of you
may have the honour of fome of thefe to
attempt the chaftity of your wives j fo
fome of t/jeje may in time command your
fleets y your armies ^ have dignity in the fenate:
in fhort, you may be able to produce as
mottled an affemblage of faces as ^^ny foot
or brick dufi can daub.
Some influence, upon this topick of li-
berty, is gone among you, I underjfland,
from refolutions of the like philanthropy
faid to be about to be formed by the
French.
The groffeft abfurdity ! Negroe
SLAVES ENFRANCHISED, wllile thc
whole government is an absolute
MONARCHY !
I do not believe His Most Chris-
tian Majesty ever entertained a fha-
dow^ of thought of any fuch par-
tiality. I believe however, it would
be pleafmg to France were our trade
with Africa abolished. While I fay
this.
[ 37 ]
this, I fhall give you good reafons for my
belief.
The early flour idling flate of our fugar
trade alarmed our neighbours, and put
them upon ways to circwnvejit our trade,
as the only means to put a ftop to the
growiitg jlrength of Great Britain,
which they feared might become too
formidable, from the great increafe of sea-
men AND SHIPPING employed in the
West India and Guinea trades,
both flourifhino; at the fame time.
The French fpared no coft or labour
to r/i;^/ Great Britain; for which purpofe
they embraced every opportunity to en-
large and improve THEIR sugar PLAN-
TATIONS; and where the planter was not
able to complete his works himfelf, pro-
per utenfils were fent over from France at
the publick charge, and the crown, as
my author maintains, trufted them for fe-
yeral years without interejl.
Their fugar colonies being eftabllfhed,
the next thing they had in view was, to
beat the Britifh merchants out of the fo^
reign markets, for fugar; by giving liberty
for
[ 38 ]
for their fhips to carry their fugars diredily
to the foreign markets, while ours were
obliged to import all into Great Britairiy
to the almoft utter ruin of the Britijh co-
lonies.
The Royal African Company's Petition
to Parliament', for the prefervation of
their trade, fhews you, attempts of fo-
reign NATIONS to gain this trade; fliews
vou, the natives of Africa impofed what
they pleafedj the prices of goods imported
to Guinea lelTened, and the price of ne-
srroes advanced, which was fomented
BY FOREIGNERS, who hoped thereby to
engrofs the trade to themfelves.
They ^ fhew you alfo their fort, Succun-
dee Fort, on the Gold Coaft, was deftroyed
by the negroes, at the inftigation of the
Butch Wefi India Company.
That Commenda Fort, on the fame coaft,
was built, notwithflanding _ the repeated
'"• Journals of the Houfe of Commons, vol. XVI.
2Cth January, 1708.
^ Journals of the Houfe of Commons, vol. XXI.
6th March, 1729, 3 Geo. II.
endeavours
[ 39 ]
endeavours of the Dutch to prevent the
fame.
If you will open your eyes and exer-
cife your faculties, look to the prelimi-
naries of the laft peace, ligned at Ver-
sailles, 2oth January, 1783, recited
under 23 Geo, III. c. 65. the preamble
and firfl fedlion. From hence you gain a
modern inftance of the ambition of our
rival power. Take care that you graze
not in your paftures any foal o^the blood oi
the Trojan horfe.
God forbid that my pen fhould ever ex-
prefs, or my heart ever conceive, the leafl
fentiment derogatory from the Cbrijlian
Religion as ejlablifloed by the Church of Eng-
land, or adopt the leaft inclination for a
reftraint of it in any part of the globe.
I have taken this fide of the prefent
queftion for the reafons, and wholly
through the motives, I have fubmitted to
you; but if there are any means of con-
verting to Chrillianity this race of brutifi
people, I fhall fubfcribe my commenda-
tions as warmly and as heartily as any
among you. One very powerful impedi-
ment
[ 4« ]
mcnt in your way is, their cuftom of
polygamy,
A flave applied to his mafter in Bar-
badces, that he might be baptized and
become a Chriflian^ his mafter received
his ibiicitation courteoaily, and with warm
approbation. His mailer lent to the cler-
gyman of the pariili, and renuefted the fa-
vour of his attendance. The clergyman
accordingly attended; but he conceived it
proper to afk fome questions of the ne-
groe, and accordingly examined him in
thofe points in which children are iirft
inilrud:ed. The negroe's anfvv'ers were
very fatisfacflory ; but one unfortunate mat-
ter won back the negroe to his paganifm.
The clergyman aflced whether he had a
wife : the anfwer was in the affirmative.
*
** Have you any m.ore than one wife ?"
** O, yes, maffa, me hsve two more.''
" You muft give up* two of thefe, for,
" you muft have but one wife, as a
** ChriHian," faid the clergyman. ** No
** maffa, be you Chrijlian; me be as I am^
** me no give up me wives." For the en-
joyment of a plurality of wives they would
10 be
[ 41 ]
be as the Frenchman in the pantomime
when he is afked, of what reHgion are you ?
* * Vat ev er you pleafe . ' '
^lod 72atiu'a dedit nemo toller e potejl.
With one comfort however I fliall leave
you, that a regular miniflry and the public
worfhip of God, as eftablilhed by the
Church of England, are, in no land, better
fettled, or publick worfhip more uniformly
and generally and devoutly attended than in
Barbadoes j the very ground work of re-
commending our religion to the Ethio-
pians; which religion, I humbly fubmit,
can never be propagated by prejjing arbi-
trarily the minds of men; nor by any
PIOUS FRAUDS.
While a deportment affable and courte-
ous, peculiarly hofpitable to all flrangers,
and a heart full of good will and benignity
to every man, and of the moil; flern pro-
bity, added to found orthodox doctrine,
eminently diftinguifli a good man and an
exemplary divine, no congregation upon
earth is more bleft than the cono^re^ation
of tl&e Redoty of Saint Michael, Bridge
D Town,
[ 42 ]
Town, Barbadoes, with the Gofpel from
the pulpit of the prefent Rector, the reverend
Tho7nas Wharton^ DoSior in Divinity.
It is fomewhat remarkable, that in all
the declamations and animated difcourfes
that have been deliver'd to draw you into
an opinion of cruelties and barbarifms,
exercifed in the Plantations, of equal
ferocity with the natives of Africa : In all
the commendable zeal that hath ilTued forth
out of the pulpit here, for the propagation
of the Gofpel in foreign parts, no man, or
men, have ever propofed to go themfelves,
with the virtues and exemplary piety of
their own hearts, (who fo fit as fuch ?) and
RELINQUISH AN INCOME OR DIGNITY
here, for the fake of the gofpel and righte-
oufnefs, in countries fo declared to ftand in
fo much need.
Yet fhould any one fiich come forward,
and, upon this, wifli to go to Barbadoes,
I fhould tell that man he was guilty of a
flander, not upon the clergy alone, but
upon the white inhabitants of the Illand
at large.
Let the warmth and virtues of his heart
oi lead
[ 43 1 ;>
lead his progrefs to the coajl of Africa j
teach there, 'till they
" Their wildnefs lofe, and quitting nature's part^
" Obey the rules and difcipline of art."
And then the flatutes of Barbadoes may
be happy enough to find reafon to expunge
thefe unpleafant founds, *' For as much
** as the Negroes and other flaves brought
** unto the people of this Ifland are of
*' barbarous y wild and favage nature.^'
And the great work will be efFeded.
Thomas Maxwell Adams.
Ranelagh Street,
near Lower Grofvenor Place,
ift March 1788.
FINIS.
TVNews
OpenLibrary